The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for communication between a user unit, such as a receiver/decoder, and a remote unit, which may be, for example, an internet account management system or an internet service provider.
Receiver/decoders are used for receiving and/or decoding signals, such as television signals, which may be transmitted in analogue or digital form. In the case of digital transmission, digital channels are encoded into a digital data stream at the transmitter end, and are decoded at the receiver end using a receiver/decoder, which may be either in a digital set-top box (DSTB) or in an integrated digital television. In the case of analogue transmission, a receiver/decoder may be provided at the subscriber to convert the transmitted signals into a format that may be displayed on a television screen.
Receiver/decoders typically contain a processor on which programs known as applications may be run. An example of an application which may be run on a receiver/decoder is an internet access application, which can allow a subscriber to access the internet by means of the receiver/decoder.
Receiver/decoders tend to be of relatively simple construction in order to ensure a low unit cost. This can make it difficult to set up a receiver/decoder to communicate with a remote network, such as the internet. In particular, communication with the internet requires the use of internet protocols and authentication which may be difficult to implement on a receiver/decoder. For example, certain receiver/decoders may not be able to output data in a format suitable for direct connection to the internet. Such receiver/decoders are referred to as “non-IP enabled”.